A Surrey couple buy a business class seat when they fly while the rest of the family travels in economy - and say it makes them "better parents".

Keen globetrotters Minna Havstad and husband Andy, both 34, used to find themselves exhausted when they took long-haul flights with daughter Malva, now three.

They said Malva's wriggling, coupled with their baggage, snacks and toilet trips, would mean none of them got a wink of sleep and it would make the first day of their holiday extremely tough.

So they now book one seat in business class, and the other in economy next to Malva - and they would swap at the halfway point, so each parent gets a few hours peace.

The parents, who use points to upgrade, said it has revolutionised their flights - and they've done it several times.

They say it makes them better parents because the break allows them to be more awake, alert, and present with their daughter, and they plan to continue doing it as long as they need.

Minna, a travel content creator from Surrey, said: "Last year we flew to China and Hong Kong, and we all sat in economy - none of us slept at all.

"We were all knackered when we arrived and it was challenging trying to get through immigration and to the hotel in a new country, with jet lag too.

"After that we had the idea to upgrade one seat and it made such a difference.

"Malva is quite a good sleeper but she likes to sleep on you - so you can't really move and it can be uncomfortable without much leg room when you're in economy with her.

"Having a bit of me time and and lie down in business means we can parent so much better."

Minna and Andy, who is a pharmaceutical manager, travel lots due to Minna's work, and daughter Malva has been to 18 countries in her three years of life.

These have included the likes of Brazil, Norway, China, Morocco, Albania and Sweden - with some involving long-haul and overnight flights across different timezones.

The parents found themselves struggling to go a full flight without rest or sleep when they were looking after Malva - and eventually devised a plan to tackle it for themselves.

Minna, who runs the 'Toddler Travel Diaries' blog and Instagram account, said: "The trip to Brazil was the longest we had done - we were flying from Sweden where we'd been staying with my family, so it was 17 hours.

"The idea of being in economy for 17 hours was tough.

"We compared it to our flight to China and Hong Kong where nobody got any sleep - it was very challenging.

"And when you get to the new country, if you've not slept, it can kind of ruin the first day.

"When we booked one business class flight, both of us got the chance to get at least four to five hours sleep - meaning we can both function until the evening.

"We do always make sure to check with flight staff beforehand, and keep swaps to a minimum, to be respectful and avoid disruption.

"So far everyone has always been very nice about it, and accommodating."

They have since done this four or five times, covering the cost of the upgrade with their air miles and loyalty points, and say it's made them better parents.

Minna said while they'd be "more hesitant" paying for a business class seat at three times the price of economy if they didn't have their air miles, they'd likely still pay it out of their own pockets.

She said since sharing their experiences with others, it has had mixed reviews - with some people saying they should all decide to stay together - while others said they'd consider it for their own future trips.

Minna said: "The hardest part is being summoned back to economy after a stint in business class.

"It makes us more alert, awake and patient - so we're both able to parent better."